Linux: Double Free
CVE-2025-38490 is a high-severity double free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 3c91a56762b1f0d1e4af2d86c2cba83b61ed9eaa, 08d18bda0d03f5ec376929a8c6c4495f9594593a, 003e4765d8661be97e650a833868c53d35574130 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.36% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to 3c91a56762b1f0d1e4af2d86c2cba83b61ed9eaa or 08d18bda0d03f5ec376929a8c6c4495f9594593a or 003e4765d8661be97e650a833868c53d35574130 or 1b7e585c04cd5f0731dd25ffd396277e55fae0e6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.6.100 or 6.12.40 or 6.15.8, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd up to, but not including, 3c91a56762b1f0d1e4af2d86c2cba83b61ed9eaa; 3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd up to, but not including, 08d18bda0d03f5ec376929a8c6c4495f9594593a; 3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd up to, but not including, 003e4765d8661be97e650a833868c53d35574130; 3c47e8ae113a68da47987750d9896e325d0aeedd up to, but not including, 1b7e585c04cd5f0731dd25ffd396277e55fae0e6; 6.3 | 3c91a56762b1f0d1e4af2d86c2cba83b61ed9eaa, 08d18bda0d03f5ec376929a8c6c4495f9594593a, 003e4765d8661be97e650a833868c53d35574130, 1b7e585c04cd5f0731dd25ffd396277e55fae0e6 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.3 up to, but not including, 6.6.100; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.40; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.15.8; 6.16 | 6.6.100, 6.12.40, 6.15.8 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 9.8 | Critical | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: libwx: remove duplicate page_pool_put_full_page() page_pool_put_full_page() should only be invoked when freeing Rx buffers or building a skb if the size is too short. At other times, the pages need to be reused. So remove the redundant page put. In the original code, double free pages cause kernel panic: [ 876.949834] __irq_exit_rcu+0xc7/0x130 [ 876.949836] common_interrupt+0xb8/0xd0 [ 876.949838] </IRQ> [ 876.949838] <TASK> [ 876.949840] asm_common_interrupt+0x22/0x40 [ 876.949841] RIP: 0010:cpuidle_enter_state+0xc2/0x420 [ 876.949843] Code: 00 00 e8 d1 1d 5e ff e8 ac f0 ff ff 49 89 c5 0f 1f 44 00 00 31 ff e8 cd fc 5c ff 45 84 ff 0f 85 40 02 00 00 fb 0f 1f 44 00 00 <45> 85 f6 0f 88 84 01 00 00 49 63 d6 48 8d 04 52 48 8d 04 82 49 8d [ 876.949844] RSP: 0018:ffffaa7340267e78 EFLAGS: 00000246 [ 876.949845] RAX: ffff9e3f135be000 RBX: 0000000000000002 RCX: 0000000000000000 [ 876.949846] RDX: 000000cc2dc4cb7c RSI: ffffffff89ee49ae RDI: ffffffff89ef9f9e [ 876.949847] RBP: ffff9e378f940800 R08: 0000000000000002 R09: 00000000000000ed [ 876.949848] R10: 000000000000afc8 R11: ffff9e3e9e5a9b6c R12: ffffffff8a6d8580 [ 876.949849] R13: 000000cc2dc4cb7c R14: 0000000000000002 R15: 0000000000000000 [ 876.949852] ? cpuidle_enter_state+0xb3/0x420 [ 876.949855] cpuidle_enter+0x29/0x40 [ 876.949857] cpuidle_idle_call+0xfd/0x170 [ 876.949859] do_idle+0x7a/0xc0 [ 876.949861] cpu_startup_entry+0x25/0x30 [ 876.949862] start_secondary+0x117/0x140 [ 876.949864] common_startup_64+0x13e/0x148 [ 876.949867] </TASK> [ 876.949868] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- [ 876.949869] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 876.949870] list_del corruption, ffffead40445a348->next is NULL [ 876.949873] WARNING: CPU: 14 PID: 0 at lib/list_debug.c:52 __list_del_entry_valid_or_report+0x67/0x120 [ 876.949875] Modules linked in: snd_hrtimer(E) bnep(E) binfmt_misc(E) amdgpu(E) squashfs(E) vfat(E) loop(E) fat(E) amd_atl(E) snd_hda_codec_realtek(E) intel_rapl_msr(E) snd_hda_codec_generic(E) intel_rapl_common(E) snd_hda_scodec_component(E) snd_hda_codec_hdmi(E) snd_hda_intel(E) edac_mce_amd(E) snd_intel_dspcfg(E) snd_hda_codec(E) snd_hda_core(E) amdxcp(E) kvm_amd(E) snd_hwdep(E) gpu_sched(E) drm_panel_backlight_quirks(E) cec(E) snd_pcm(E) drm_buddy(E) snd_seq_dummy(E) drm_ttm_helper(E) btusb(E) kvm(E) snd_seq_oss(E) btrtl(E) ttm(E) btintel(E) snd_seq_midi(E) btbcm(E) drm_exec(E) snd_seq_midi_event(E) i2c_algo_bit(E) snd_rawmidi(E) bluetooth(E) drm_suballoc_helper(E) irqbypass(E) snd_seq(E) ghash_clmulni_intel(E) sha512_ssse3(E) drm_display_helper(E) aesni_intel(E) snd_seq_device(E) rfkill(E) snd_timer(E) gf128mul(E) drm_client_lib(E) drm_kms_helper(E) snd(E) i2c_piix4(E) joydev(E) soundcore(E) wmi_bmof(E) ccp(E) k10temp(E) i2c_smbus(E) gpio_amdpt(E) i2c_designware_platform(E) gpio_generic(E) sg(E) [ 876.949914] i2c_designware_core(E) sch_fq_codel(E) parport_pc(E) drm(E) ppdev(E) lp(E) parport(E) fuse(E) nfnetlink(E) ip_tables(E) ext4 crc16 mbcache jbd2 sd_mod sfp mdio_i2c i2c_core txgbe ahci ngbe pcs_xpcs libahci libwx r8169 phylink libata realtek ptp pps_core video wmi [ 876.949933] CPU: 14 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/14 Kdump: loaded Tainted: G W E 6.16.0-rc2+ #20 PREEMPT(voluntary) [ 876.949935] Tainted: [W]=WARN, [E]=UNSIGNED_MODULE [ 876.949936] Hardware name: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. MS-7E16/X670E GAMING PLUS WIFI (MS-7E16), BIOS 1.90 12/31/2024 [ 876.949936] RIP: 0010:__list_del_entry_valid_or_report+0x67/0x120 [ 876.949938] Code: 00 00 00 48 39 7d 08 0f 85 a6 00 00 00 5b b8 01 00 00 00 5d 41 5c e9 73 0d 93 ff 48 89 fe 48 c7 c7 a0 31 e8 89 e8 59 7c b3 ff <0f> 0b 31 c0 5b 5d 41 5c e9 57 0d 93 ff 48 89 fe 48 c7 c7 c8 31 e8 [ 876.949940] RSP: 0018:ffffaa73405d0c60 EFLAGS: 00010282 [ 876.949941] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffffead40445a348 RCX: 0000000000000000 [ 876.949942] RDX: 0000000000000105 RSI: 00000 ---truncated---
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Double Free
The product calls free() twice on the same memory address.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- Ensure that each allocation is freed only once. After freeing a chunk, set the pointer to NULL to ensure the pointer cannot be freed again. In complicated error conditions, be sure that clean-up routines respect the state of allocation properly. If the language is object oriented, ensure that object destructors delete each chunk of memory only once.
- Use a static analysis tool to find double free instances.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Double Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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